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This FAQ was a posting to the UK's telework@mailbase discussion list by Ken Lunn. Is it possible to combine home-based telework, on site work with caring for a family? I have been "teleworking" in varying degrees over the last three years. My family circumstances make it preferable for me to be based at home a good proportion of the time. I worked as a part-time freelance consultant for eighteen months, and as a part-time tutor for the Open University. For the last eight months I have been employed as a full-time academic at the University of Liverpool. As I live in West Yorkshire, I aim only to attend the university for an average of three days a week. I am learning a number of things, and also finding that I have to "educate" those I work with. Some of these are: Because my time with people is limited, I tend to be much more business-like in getting through items. There are fewer ad hoc "noise" meetings, which tend to get off the point. It has taken a number of months to convince students that "popping in" to my office is usually a waste of time. Either I am not there, or I have someone with me on an appointment. The positive side is that they do get prompt responses to email (usually), and when they make an appointment they get a good deal of time and I am (usually) prepared for them. I work through email much more efficiently than I ever worked through paper. My working day is apparently very unstructured. After taking the children to the bus-stop, I work from about 8.00 a.m. on my email, responding to requests for info, and scheduling appointments and phone calls. If I am travelling to Liverpool, I avoid setting off until 8.30 at the earliest to avoid the rush-hour traffic around Manchester. When I have an early meeting, it can take me an extra thirty minutes in the car. I often work until early evening, sometimes later. But if I am working from home I have the freedom to use the middle of the day for personal matters. I "socialise" a lot when I am at Liverpool - I make it a point to attend coffee and lunch sessions. Some of these are valuable, but some are just for fun. I think I am working as efficiently, if not more-so, than when I was in an office on a traditional timetable. I have sole charge of three children. I had a full-time nanny for the best part of a year when I commuted to an office-based job in central London from Woking. It worked reasonably well, and was far more convenient, but I now have the time and ability to deal with problems as they arise and I have a much better relationship with the children. Basically the children only need me for odd few minutes at a time, unless we are expressly doing something together. I am lucky in that I do not need long periods of uninterrupted silence to work. I try to keep a high profile by participating in or generating debates using email within my department. Although everyone I work with uses email, this form of interaction is not prevalent. I think many people do not like exposing their opinions, but that is equally true of verbal debates. The self-discipline problem was the same for me in an office as at home. I could always find things to do to amuse myself in an office (coffee machines, chats, the bit of interesting work which is not essential), just as I can at home. Perhaps I do not have a sufficiently high guilt complex about people not seeing me work, provided I know that I am achieving my objectives. I can control the distractions at home much better. The kids will respect my need for quiet when I ask for it, and will only interrupt on essential matters (grazed knees, impending starvation, reassurance). My work colleagues are harder to deal with. About half of my "working time" is home-based now, though I have a job which is largely people-based. For technical work, I think I could cope with about 80% of my working time at home, using the telephone for interactions. But it is a slow learning process for me and for those I work with. Ken Lunn 3 June 1996.